Reforestation site now a wildlife sanctuary

United Coconut Planters Bank (UCPB) have successfully restored the 33.3-hectare UCPB-CIIF Reforestation site in Sitio Boso-Boso, Antipolo, Rizal as a natural habitat for a growing number of Philippine flora and fauna, some of which are rare and threatened with extinction.

In 1990, UCPB embarked on the reforestation program in response to the call of government for the private sector to take an active role in protecting the environment.  The Environment and Natural Resources Department initially awarded the bank stewardship over 20 hectares of denuded forestland.

Through its UCPB-CIIF Foundation,  the site was maintained by organizing treks for UCPB Group employees and plant four kinds of indigenous tree species on selected areas within the site.
A full-time forester was hired to manage the reforestation activities.  Aside from the annual treks involving employees from the bank, its subsidiaries and affiliate companies, an onsite tree nursery was established.

The reforestation work was completed in 2002 with more than 42,000 trees planted on the site.  The   Environment and Natural Resources Department then increased the reforestration site to 33.3 hectares.

Employees of the UCPB-CIIF Foundation and the UCPB-CIIF Finance and Development Corp. took part in the trek at the reforestation site in July.  In previous tree-planting activities, employees of UCPB Savings Bank, UCPB Leasing and Finance Corp., UCPB Securities, UCPB General Insurance, Cocolife and Cocoplans participated.
Haribon Foundation, a private conservation group, had recommended the planting of indigenous tree species to further enhance the reforestation site’s biodiversity.  “Indigenous tree species are more appropriate for watershed or forest rehabilitation. The use of indigenous tree species will recreate an ecosystem similar to the original state of the area.  As foundation species, they can provide habitat to many wildlife species and help restore the faunal biodiversity, ” stressed by the group.

In a recent biodiversity survey of the site, Haribon Foundation found 108 species of trees, shrubs, palms, herbs and ferns; 53 species of birds, six species of mammals and seven species of amphibians and reptiles.

Haribon recorded 19 more new animal species than were reported in previous surveys of the area, which suggests that the successful reforestation of the area is giving rise to a thriving wildlife. 

Among the notable bird species that the Haribon team observed during its survey are the Philippine Serpent-Eagle, the Indigo-banded Kingfisher, the Red-bellied Pitta, the Mangrove Blue Flycatcher, the Philippine Hawk-Owl and the Ashy Thrush.  The latter two are significant finds since they can be found only in the Philippines and both face serious threat of extinction owing to habitat loss.   

The mammal population on the site had grown as well. Civet cats or Musang and chattering groups of long-tailed Macaques or Unggoy now roam the reforested area.

Haribon also noted the presence of fruit bats as very encouraging since they “play a pivotal role in the ecology of the forest ecosystem” as pollinators and seed dispersers.  Another bat specie, the Flat-headed Bat, one of the smallest bats in the world measuring only 5 centimeters in length, made the bamboo groves on the site its home.

First posted on October 8, 2010.